The present invention relates to a game apparatus, for example, a board game apparatus.
Many games, for example games of strategy, such as for example, Chess and Draughts are played on a playing surface comprising a grid.
In a game, for example, Chess or Draughts, playing pieces move about the playing surface in accordance with a set of rules. The type of the playing piece determines the type of move the playing piece can make on the playing surface.
It is an aim of the present invention to provide a playing surface which will enable a novel game of strategy to be played thereon.
This aim has been met by the provision of a playing surface consisting of a plurality of different playing space types wherein each playing space type determines the type of move a playing piece may make from that space in a subsequent move.
For example, the type of move may be limited to the number of spaces the piece may progress and/or the direction of travel.
According to the present invention there is provided a game apparatus comprising a playing surface consisting of a plurality of different playing space types wherein each playing space type determines the type of move a playing piece may make from that space in a subsequent move.
Preferably the playing space type determines the number of spaces a playing piece may progress and/or the direction of travel.
Preferably, the playing spaces are arranged on a grid which more preferably still comprises the same number of ranks and files.
More preferably still the playing surface comprises an odd number of ranks and files such that the playing surface has a single central playing space.
More preferably still the preferred playing surface will comprise eighty one playing spaces arranged in a grid of nine ranks and nine files.
Preferably the playing surface will have a plurality, i.e. at least two, of differently differentiated playing spaces, each differently differentiated playing space determining a different type of move a playing piece positioned thereon can make.
Preferably, there are three differently differentiated playing spaces.
More preferably still, the differently differentiated playing spaces determine the number of spaces a playing piece positioned on the playing space can move.
Thus, for example, where the playing surface has three differently differentiated playing spaces these would determine three different move types, such as for example a one space move, a two space move and a three space move. The move may, for example, be a vertical, horizontal or a diagonal move.
In the case of a playing surface comprising a nine by nine grid and having three different types of playing spaces, there are preferably;
a) 25 playing spaces denoting a first type of move, for example, a three space move;
b) 32 playing spaces denoting a second type of move, for example, a two space move; and
c) 24 playing spaces denoting a third type of move, for example, a one space move.
These three differently differentiated playing spaces are preferably arranged about the playing surface in an ordered manner as follows:
Assuming the left hand square of a nine by nine arid is denoted Al and the ranks are numbered 1 to 9 and the files A to I, the playing spaces or squares are denoted as follows:
Spaces denoting a first type of move:
A1, A3, A5, A7, A9,
C1, C4, C6, C9,
D3, D7,
E1, E5, E9,
F3, F7,
G1, G4, G6, G9,
I1, I3, I5, I7, I9,
Spaces denoting a second type of move:
A2, A4, A6, A8,
B1, B3, B5, B7, B9,
C2, C8,
D1, D5, D9,
E2, E4, E6, E8,
F1, F5, F9,
G2, G8,
H1, H3, H5, H7, H9,
I2, I4, I6, I8,
Spaces denoting a third type of move:
B2, B4, B6, B8,
C3, C5, C7,
D2, D4, D6, D8,
E3, E7,
F2, F4, F6, F8,
G3, G5, G7,
H2, H4, H6, H8,
As well as the playing surface, a game apparatus may have a plurality of playing pieces.
For a playing surface comprising a nine by nine grid, it is preferred that there are two sets of playing pieces (one for each player), each set comprising ten playing pieces. Each set of pieces is a different color and comprises five first or xe2x80x9chigherxe2x80x9d pieces and five second or xe2x80x9clowerxe2x80x9d pieces, the higher pieces being different, e.g. larger in size, than the lower pieces.
Of course it would be possible to produce a larger playing surface, for example one of thirteen ranks by thirteen files for four players.